FFA reviewing FIFA corruption
Australian soccer chiefs are reviewing the charges against 14 soccer officials and marketing executives ahead of the FIFA congress in Zurich.
Football Federation Australia’s delegation to the FIFA congress in Zurich includes chief executive David Gallop and chairman Frank Lowy.
“The Australian delegation will review the developments involving Swiss and US law enforcement authorities over the conduct of FIFA officials,” the FFA said in a statement on Thursday.
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A further FFA statement was expected later Thursday once Lowy had arrived.
United States’ Attorney General Loretta Lynch unveiled the fruits of a complex, international investigation, spanning years, after seven soccer officials were arrested in Zurich in dawn raids by Swiss police at US request.
The 47-count US indictment charges 14 soccer officials and marketing executives with racketeering, wire fraud and money laundering conspiracies that span 24 years beginning in 1991.
The officials are charged with conspiring to solicit and receive more than $US150 million ($A194 million) in bribes and kickbacks in exchange for their support of marketing executives who agreed to make the illegal payments.
The charges bring into question the bidding process to host World Cups.
Australia’s government spent almost $46 million on Australia’s bid to host the 2022 World Cup – but the bid gained just one vote, with the cup awarded to Qatar in an unexpected decision.
Australian soccer identity Les Murray, a former member of FIFA’s ethic committee, said the arrests were a “day of trauma for a lot of people in the game”.
“But I would suggest it’s a good day if, in fact, crooks have been caught. There has always been suspicion hovering around FIFA’s high places about corruption,” Murray told ABC radio on Thursday.
FIFA has said the next World Cups, in 2018 in Russia and 2022 in Qatar, would go ahead.
But Murray suggested the arrests could lead to a re-vote, opening the door for another Australian bid.
“Qatar’s victory and so bizarre, so unexpected, so inexplicable … there was no other explanation than some funny business was going on,” he said.
“If it comes to pass and courts rule that some manipulation was made and bribes were taken, then I don’t believe there is any other choice but to have a re-vote.
“And if there is a re-vote, I think Australia should bid again.”
– AAP